1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to flame retardant graft latex compositions useful as coatings, including backcoatings, sealants, adhesives and the like, and particularly to compositions prepared from ring-halogenated, ethylenically unsaturated aromatic monomers grafted to at least one latex.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Natural and synthetic latices are commercially used in a variety of coatings. In many coatings applications, the latices used are desired to have flame-retarding properties. This applies in particular where lattices are used in textiles, carpeting, paints, clear coatings, adhesives, sealants, caulking, non-woven binders and so on.
The usual method by which flame-retardant properties are imparted to latices is the blending-in of flame retardant additives. Many of these flame retardant additives contain bromine, such as brominated diphenyl or diphenyloxide compounds, together with antimony trioxide. However, such flame retardant additives have a major disadvantage in that their use gives rise to problems, such as the generation of strong white pigmenting and settling out effect, and toxicity resulting from the presence of antimony trioxide.
There has remained a need for polymer latex compositions, useful in a variety of coating applications, which possess desired flame retardant properties. The compositions of the present invention satisfy this need, and provide fire-retardant latices useful in fabric backcoatings, paints, adhesives, sealants, caulking, non-woven binders and a variety of other applications.